Aston Francis Barrett,CD (22 November 1946 – 3 February 2024), often called "Family Man" or "Fams" for short, was a Jamaican musician andRastafarian.[1][2] He was best known as the bass-guitar bandleader ofBob Marley's backing band, as well as co-producer of the albums, and the man in charge of the overall song arrangements.[3]
Aston Francis Barrett was born on 22 November 1946 inKingston, Jamaica.[4] He was the fourth of five children, and first son, of Wilfred and Violet Barrett.[5]
Barrett sang along tosoul music as a child, then learned the bass, building his firstbass guitar from scratch.[6] As young men, Barrett and his younger brotherCarlton earned a meager income as welders while doingsession work on the side.[7]
In 2006 Barrett filed a lawsuit againstIsland Records, the Wailers' label, seeking £60 million in unpaid royalties allegedly due him and his now deceased brother. The lawsuit was dismissed.[12] The arguments by Island-Universal and the Marley family was that Barrett surrendered his rights to any further royalties in a 1994 settlement in exchange for several hundred thousand dollars. The judge agreed. As a result he faced about £2 million in legal costs for the trial, forcing him to sell two homes in Jamaica.[13]
Barrett's "Family Man" nickname came about before he had any children of his own. Barrett foresaw his role as a band leader and started to call himself "Family Man". He subsequently fathered 41 children: 23 daughters and 18 sons. He also claimed to have 23 grandchildren and two great-grandchildren.[14]
Bass Player magazine has commented that "Perhaps no music evokes the notion of bass and bass tone like reggae and dub, and no two words are more synonymous with those plucking practices than Family Man."[18]Ali Campbell, frontman ofUB40, credits Aston Barrett and his brother as the inventors of reggae as we know it, stating, "That all happened before reggae, which kind of happened in about '69, you know, when reggae as we know it was invented by the Barrett brothers, I'd say."[19] Rock musicianJohn Lennon expressed admiration for the unique bass sound originating from Jamaica, while discussing his plans for a comeback album in early 1980 while listening to theBob Marley & The Wailers albumBurnin', stating, "You couldn't get that sound in New York. No way!"[20]
Ziggy Marley, eldest son ofBob Marley, emphasizes the significance of Aston Barrett's bass alongsideCarlton's drumming in his father's music, noting, "They have their own style."[21]Keith Richards ofThe Rolling Stones acknowledges the Wailers' rapid improvement with Barrett's addition on bass.[22]Robbie Shakespeare ofSly & Robbie fame hailed Barrett as a master bassist, attributing much of his own success to Barrett's influence.[23]
2012: Lifetime Achievement award fromBass Player Magazine[24]
2020: Selected as number one by the staff of Bass Player Magazine, in their ranking of "20 legendary players who shaped the sound of electric bass"[25]
